A comparative study of in vitro cytotoxicity and chemical constituents of wild and cultured plants of Marchantia polymorpha L.

Abstract

Marchantia polymorpha L. (Marchantiaceae), a thalloid liverwort, is cosmopolitan in distribution. It has various medicinal properties by exhibiting antimicrobial activity, cytotoxic activity, antifungal activity, antipyretic activity, and diuretic activity. In the present study, chemical profiling of M. polymorpha by using GC–MS has been carried out and fifty-five compounds have been identified in hexane and ethyl acetate extract of wild and cultured plants. Significant constituents of hexane extract of wild plants viz., Aromadendrene oxide, Norlinolenic Acid, Geranyl isovalerate, 1,2-Dihydrocuparene, Cedrene, epoxide (6.57%), whereas in the cultured plant (MCH) Palmitic Acid, α-Linolenic Acid, Oleic Acid, Campesterol, Stigmasterol have been identified. Extract of M. polymorpha has been found significantly effective against colon, Head, and Neck cancer cell lines. A comparative study of in vitro cytotoxicity of wild and cultured plants exhibited the medicinal potential of the plants grown fully in laboratory conditions. The cytotoxic activity of cultured plants is an important finding for its possible use as herbal formulation on the one hand and conservation of this species in nature by preventing its overharvesting in wild on the other hand.